Vinyl Siding or Smartboard?

Getting older and looking for maintenance free siding to replace the cedar that has to be stained. We were thinking vinyl but the contractor is recommending we look at Smartboard. Anybody have any experience with that product?

If you get hail at all in your area I would avoid vinyl unless you want something to do as you get older. I put steel siding on our home a few years ago and it still looks as good as the day I got it. It can be washed and you can get about any color you want. No painting either. LLL

As a contractor for 20 years, i have not seen hail damage to vinyl in our area, but good advice from Iowa for sure where the storms are stronger i would imagine.

Smartside is a great product if you can afford it. I think it goes up great and looks even better once installed. I consider it the upgrade from good quality vinyl.

I put LP Smart board on my house 5 years ago, the Diamond Coat cedar color. I did it myself so no labor but it was still spendy, but it turned out great. It can be painted but should be good for 25 years and by then I'll be too old to notice.

I prefer a GOOD quality vinyl.
.046 or thicker.
Smartside has to be installed correct and caulked or it will come apart with moisture.

I just can't imagine putting plastic on the outside of a house.
This summer I saw where a brush fire occurred next to a mini-warehouse that had vinyl siding, what a mess.

I would vote for LP SmartSide over vinyl in a heartbeat. It looks better from day one and will stand up longer and better to storms, errant baseballs, mold, etc, etc. than vinyl will. We have used the LP products now on both of my sons' house/garage in the horizontal style and at my house too in the 4' x 10' panels.

As indicated above though...be sure you know how to install it correctly, as I have seen jobs where it was applied incorrectly. Of particular note is the proper installation technique(s) around openings(windows and doors mainly). There are many good Youtube videos though to avail yourself to in advance of the installation that will help guide you.

As a salesman at a lumber yard, I can tell you what ever you choose is going to be difficult to come by right now. If this is a project that isn't a rush I might let it go for a couple seasons and let things settle down again

Have Smartside on our house.
Its 3 years old and seems to hold up very well.
I personally never like vinyl siding.

Like all building products make sure that if you use it have the installers do it correctly.
Good products can become bad products when installed incorrectly.

^^^^^^^
Good advice. I just paid $36 for a sheet of 1/2 inch CDX. More than double the normal price.

A cigarette dropped in the wrong place on the porch that caused the vinyl to take off. It took 6 minutes to burn the vinyl up the wall and into the attic insulation through the gable vent and consume the whole roof.

I don't get the "burn" thing.
If its steel siding, it will melt the paint.
Smartside is made of wood. It'll burn if ignited

Another vote for Smart Siding.
It is a wood product but probly has a fire retardant in the mix. Be careful to not put the nails in too high also.

Is the cedar siding in bad shape ? Just prime and paint it with a high quality flat paint

How long will you live ? Should factor in as well

You could take some good vacations or buy a Harley with the savings

Doing our house in smartside caulking all the seems as it goes on, a whole lot less ways for the wind to get in, no nails screwed on,

I have smartside on my house but live in a dry climate

Not so great in a wet climate


Hardie will out last all of us